Staff Spotlight— Sadie Cunningham

What is your role here at DAP?

My job is in the Intervention and Prevention Program as a contract therapist. I facilitate an evening group and do diagnostic assessments to get people into programming.

What initially interested you in the Domestic Abuse Project?

I did my clinical internship for grad school in the Victim Survivor Program and had a really good learning experience. Previous to that I’ve worked in a DV shelter and have also worked as an advocate in sexual violence. I’ve been really interested in facilitating healing. I was really interested in DAP’s philosophy about how we cannot really end DV unless we serve the whole family and provide healing and skill building to folks who use abusive behavior.

What’s kept you here?

I stick around because DAP really demonstrates its values both in its work with clients and community but also with staff. I really appreciate the action that the org has put towards anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice. This deep intentionality isn’t something I’ve encountered at other orgs. I also really appreciate the people I work with— both clients and my team. We can have really serious conversations sorting through trauma, and also have lots of fun. I feel inspired and fueled by the change that I see.

What’s one tool for emotional regulation that you like to share with participants?

One of the tools we use frequently is identifying your cues— building language and awareness around the signs and signals of stress, which can look different for different people. I like to use myself as an example and walk the participants through what stress might look like for me, if, for instance, my car broke down. Maybe feeling anxious or stressed, worried about the financial costs, maybe even swearing. Then we talk about how to take a break, regulate emotions, connect with someone for support, going for a walk, etc.

What do you do for self-care?

I utilize my team, see my own therapist, use my PTO, make sure I’m connecting with my support system… oh, and I play roller derby. It’s so fun, I get to build community while being active and just do something for myself.

Anything else you want to share for mental health awareness month?

This month offers a good opportunity to reduce the stigma that can sometimes be associated with mental health. I encourage people to talk with others about the things they’re experiencing. You can find mental health support not just in therapy, but also in community and other social relationships. When people start to open up, I think they’ll be surprised about similarities or experiences they share with others.

We appreciate you, Sadie!

Prioritizing the Mental Health of Our Staff

One of DAP’s 2023 strategic pillars is financial sustainability. Financial strength ensures DAP can continue to provide meaningful services to families, in order to permanently break the cycles of violence. Building our financial sustainability confirms that we can not only provide these essential services to members of our community, but also that we take care of our staff. This will allow us to attend to the health, wellness, sustainability, and retention of our team, as well and quality of services that we provide to our community.

We are proud to announce that we rolled out pay equity salary increases for all direct service providers working at DAP, to ensure that we are paying equitable wages that are competitive with nonprofit market rates. This will allow our own staff to take care of themselves in the ways they need to, and also allows us to retain staff so that we can care for our community.

Thank you for the continued support over the years that has allowed us to prioritize this strategic pillar.